HTC Polaris in the wild

We haven't seen much of the HTC Artemis 'round here -- a crying shame, really, considering its slick body (Palm V-esque, dare we say?), integrated GPS, and totally nifty trackball / ring combo for navigation. Maybe if we're all really good, though, the HTC Fairy will be better to us the second time around when the Polaris gets put out to retail. Billed as the Artemis' heir apparent, the new device is finally starting to get pictured in the wild, bearing most of the physical traits that made the original so unique (although that might not be a trackball there, kinda hard to tell). UMTS / HSDPA is the big new feature here, though we've heard we should also expect a faster processor under the hood along with Windows Mobile 6 (of course) out of the gate. Oh, and check out the TouchFLO action, too! Any love for the US this time around, HTC (and no, T-Mobile Germany doesn't count)?

[Via the::unwired]

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 8th 2007 3:28PM]

I just got my tilt man, ahhhh but i like a lot

[murrayw76 Posted Oct 8th 2007 4:04PM]

I bought an Artemis/P3300 from Mobile Planet earlier this summer and I love it! The processor is decent and it's limited to EDGE, but the Polaris seems to make improvements across the board. I'm eager to see how the Tilt compares, though. I think the keyboard is going to be the deal-maker/-breaker ... I don't mind entering text with the stylus (although it's impossible to do safely while driving), but I'd pick the Tilt over the Polaris if the dimensions/weight are roughly the same. Also, I don't use the trackball as often as I use the ring, so I don't think I'd miss that if HTC got rid of it, as the photo seems to indicate. I'd love it if the ring were touch-sensitive (a la the iPod) and not an actual rotating piece, too.

And the more I read about the Shift, the more it sounds like someone finally got the UMPC form factor right. Yeah, it's bigger than the OQO or Samsung entries, but still far smaller than a laptop and it seems to have a nice combination of hardware and capabilities.

[RikF Posted Oct 8th 2007 6:59PM]

If you are entering text by *any* method whilst driving, you are a menace. What on earth are you doing that means that getting a text message sent is worth risking other peoples (or your) lives? You really should be ashamed of yourself

[murrayw76 Posted Oct 8th 2007 8:20PM]

I actually have the highest safety rating (and subsequent discount) that my insurer provides. I was simply recognizing the fact that you can't enter text by touch on the Artemis without looking at the screen. I'm not going to say that I haven't used the T9 capabilities of previous phones to send quick messages, but it's relatively easy to do that when you have tactile feedback. You have to know your own limits, too ... if you're incapable of focusing on the road while making/taking a call or sending a text, then pull over and take care of your business.

I love the accusatory tone of your comment, though. Way to add to the discourse! Next time try to stay on topic and at least mention the gadget in the original post.

[firestarter2 Posted Oct 8th 2007 4:10PM]

Why aren't these devices VGA?

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 8th 2007 6:33PM]

You guys forgot to mention the best part: 640x480 VGA

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 8th 2007 7:19PM]

The Polaris is only rumoured to have QVGA screen. VGA screen was rumoured back in the early days along with a size of 3.5". As seen on the photo (compare the size with the Shift), this is clearly not correct.

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 8th 2007 10:45PM]

What's the small laptop in the background? Looks sweet! :P

--James

[murrayw76 Posted Oct 9th 2007 12:20PM]

That's the HTC Shift ... it's their entry in the UMPC form factor and the reviews have mostly been positive. The Shift runs both Windows Vista and Windows Mobile, so you can either use the full-blown OS or get a couple of days of battery life out of the mobile version. It's not as small as the OQO model 02 or Samsung Q1 that I mentioned in an earlier comment, but it slots in between those and an ultraportable laptop.

There's a 30+ minute review of the Shift here:

http://gottabemobile.com/thehtcshift.aspx